Music industry legal news

Music publishers now fighting Spotify audiobook bundling trick on multiple fronts

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Spotify • 3 min read

Music publishers now fighting Spotify audiobook bundling trick on multiple fronts

The music publishers have written to the US Federal Trade Commission accusing Spotify of unlawful conduct over the way it bundled audiobooks into its main subscription product. It means the music industry is now fighting that big bundle, which reduces royalties to songwriters, on multiple fronts…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jun 2024

Ministry of Sound label sued over Ride It remix

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Ministry Of Sound Recordings • 2 min read

Ministry of Sound label sued over Ride It remix

Ministry Of Sound Recordings has been sued over Regard’s remix of ‘Ride It’. The label that released the original says the remix substantially sampled its track without permission. Ministry ultimately re-recorded the sampled elements, but initially released it with the uncleared sample, it’s alleged…

Chris Cooke • 12 Jun 2024

Madonna accuses litigious fans of “harassment”

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Madonna • 2 min read

Madonna accuses litigious fans of “harassment”

Last week lawyers working for two fans who sued Madonna over the late start time of one of her shows told the court a settlement had been reached with the musician and her promoter Live Nation. But, says a lawyer working for Madonna and Live Nation, that’s just not true…

Chris Cooke • 11 Jun 2024

Court orders domain of unofficial Pink Floyd merch website to be disabled

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Pink Floyd • 3 min read

Court orders domain of unofficial Pink Floyd merch website to be disabled

Pink Floyd have secured a court order against an unofficial merch website which, they say, is infringing their trademarks and misleading fans. The court also says the rogue site’s domain name should be disabled…

Chris Cooke • 11 Jun 2024

Free VIP Bad Bunny tickets are against the rules, says baseball player union

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Bad Bunny • 2 min read

Free VIP Bad Bunny tickets are against the rules, says baseball player union

Last year Bad Bunny and his manager set up a company called Rimas Sport which represents baseball players. But in April one of its agents was decertified by the baseball players’ union. In a resulting legal battle, Rimas has been accused of “grave violations” of the union’s rules…

Chris Cooke • 10 Jun 2024

Universal wants Tupac ‘Dear Mama’ rights dispute dismissed

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Tupac Shakur • 3 min read

Universal wants Tupac ‘Dear Mama’ rights dispute dismissed

Producer Master Tee last year claimed that he wrote and produced 1993 Tupac track ‘Dear Mama’, but was denied his credit and copyright as a result of the devious tactics of another producer, Tony D Pizzaro. Defendants had agreed to mediation, but now say Master Tee is making unreasonable demands…

Chris Cooke • 07 Jun 2024

Live Nation confirms Ticketmaster data breach as customers file class action

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Ticketmaster • 3 min read

Live Nation confirms Ticketmaster data breach as customers file class action

Live Nation confirmed on Friday that it is investigating “unauthorised activity” on a third-party service that hosts Ticketmaster data. Hackers claim they have stolen personal data relating to 560 million ticket-buyers, two of whom have already filed a lawsuit against the ticketing company…

Chris Cooke • 03 Jun 2024

Apple lawyers face double whammy of criticism in antitrust fight

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Apple • 3 min read

Apple lawyers face double whammy of criticism in antitrust fight

Apple continues to fight allegations of anticompetitive conduct in the US. In an ongoing legal battle with Epic Games, a judge criticised Apple for not understanding what the word ‘any’ means. Meanwhile the US Department Of Justice said Apple’s attorneys had “misstated the law”…

Chris Cooke • 03 Jun 2024

Madonna show was too late, too sexy, too hot alleges whiney concert-goer

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Madonna • 4 min read

Madonna show was too late, too sexy, too hot alleges whiney concert-goer

Madonna has been sued yet again in relation to her poor time-keeping when it comes to her arrival on stage. This latest lawsuit has been filed by a fan who also complains about being “forced to watch topless women on stage simulating sex acts” and being so hot that they became “physically ill”…

Sam Taylor • 31 May 2024

Copyright case that could impact the entire reggaeton genre allowed to proceed

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Music industry legal news coverage • 2 min read

Copyright case that could impact the entire reggaeton genre allowed to proceed

A lawsuit that names Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Daddy Yankee among its defendants and basically accuses the whole reggaeton genre of copyright infringement has been allowed to proceed. Producers Steely & Clevie say they have never been credited for creating the drum beat that underpins the sound…

Chris Cooke • 31 May 2024

TikTok offered US government “kill-switch” in a bid to avoid sell-or-be-banned law, new report reveals

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TikTok • 3 min read

TikTok offered US government “kill-switch” in a bid to avoid sell-or-be-banned law, new report reveals

As TikTok continues in its legal bid to stop a sell-or-be-banned law in the US, a Washington Post report has revealed concessions the social media company previously offered the American government to overcome data security concerns. That included “a kill switch that would shut the app down”…

Chris Cooke • 31 May 2024

Spotify sued over decision to stop supporting Car Thing

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Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify sued over decision to stop supporting Car Thing

Spotify has been sued by subscribers who are still using its Car Thing device to control use of the service in their vehicles. Sales of Car Thing stopped in 2022 and the device will no longer be supported from December, meaning remaining devices won’t work. That, says a lawsuit, is not acceptable…

Chris Cooke • 30 May 2024